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Mark’s Message

This past Wednesday, Dec. 7, we held our sixth annual State of the County Address. I truly enjoy this event as it is a great opportunity to talk about our most recent successes in Macomb County. If you attended, thank you for doing so. Your support means a lot. For those of you who missed it, you can still watch it on our county website by clicking here. To view photos of the event, click here.

A brief recap:

More than 1.6 million people have explored Macomb County through Make Macomb Your Home’s digital content.

Macomb County is home to 180 parks, 155 miles of trails, 32 miles of coastline and 41 miles of the Clinton River.

There are more than 17,000 acres of parks in the county. We have provided more outreach and support this year to develop these vibrant community assets.

Green Macomb has been awarded an additional $340K grant from the US Forest Service to plant trees across Macomb County.

Macomb County, through Macomb Community Action, opened our first Family Resource Center in Warren serving 12,000 in first year. The center provides health care for children, educational programs, financial and homeownership counseling, fitness nutrition and more.

The Area Agency on Aging 1-B was awarded a Blue Ribbon for our senior services programs improving the quality of life for older adults.

Macomb County’s OneMacomb was invited to the White House and given national recognition for cultural vitality.

There have been seven consecutive years of job growth in Macomb County. We have the most employed in 15 years and nearing historic highs.

Advanced manufacturing in Macomb County is a network of more than 1,200 companies and 40,000 highly-skilled employees.

Since 2010, advanced manufacturing companies have invested more than $6 billion in Macomb County.

This year Chrysler Fiat committed $1.4 billion at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant.

Our military installations and 600-plus prime defense contractors continue to push the limits of innovation.

TARDEC teamed up with General Motors to develop the hydrogen-powered Chevy Colorado Z-H-2.

Selfridge Air National Guard Base turns 100 years old in 2017!

The world’s largest aerospace companies are now doing business in Macomb County: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Bell Helicopter and NASA.

The first year at Jimmy John’s Field in Utica was a tremendous success! There were 3,100 fans per game and eight players were picked up by Major League Baseball clubs.

As you can tell from this list of what was highlighted in the speech, we have a lot to be proud of here in Macomb County. I can’t wait to see what 2017 has in store for us. Have a great holiday season everyone! See you next year!

Crowdfunding campaign announced for MacArthur Park kayak and canoe launch

The Clinton River Watershed Council (CRWC), Mount Clemens and Macomb County have launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to install a universally-accessible kayak and canoe launch at MacArthur Park in downtown Mount Clemens. To learn more about the campaign, watch this video.

“Our goal is to raise $60,000 in 60 days,” said Tara Beatty, CRWC development director. “If we reach our goal, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Public Spaces Community Places will match our donations up to $50,000 for the MacArthur Park project.”

The park project will help create a link between the riverfront and downtown Mount Clemens while enhancing MacArthur Park with improved facilities that will highlight a key recreational asset in the community and in the region. Additionally, the park will feature universally-accessible restrooms, picnic tables, murals and kayak storage lockers, among many other amenities.

“Adding a universally-accessible kayak launch at MacArthur Park will allow users of all abilities the opportunity to experience all that Mount Clemens and the Clinton River have to offer,” said Mount Clemens Mayor Barbara Dempsey.

MacArthur Park was one of 12 kayak and canoe launch locations identified by the CRWC through a grant provided by the Coastal Zone Management under CRWC’s WaterTowns program, which focuses on community-based placemaking initiatives to help towns and cities in the watershed leverage the assets of the Clinton River, its tributaries and Lake St. Clair for water-oriented community development. If their funding goal is reached, it will be the first universally-accessible launch to be fully funded and installed.

Donations of any amount from the public are greatly encouraged and appreciated.

“Every donor will receive a reward for their support, ranging from paddling accessories to onsite recognition at MacArthur Park to launch naming rights or even an exclusive VIP paddle when the launch opens,” said Beatty.

Recreational enthusiasts, residents and businesses alike can help reach this fundraising goal by making an online donation at patronicity.com/project/macarthur_park_river_access or by contacting CRWC at (248) 601-0606. The deadline to make a donation is Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017.

This holiday shopping season, Macomb County is making it easier than ever to support local businesses.

Inspired by the popular Small Business Saturday campaign heralded by American Express, the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development has created an online interactive resource for shoppers to find and connect with the more than 1,600 independently-owned retail stores located within the county.

This new resource is a mobile-friendly interactive map that displays local shops by 16 different categories, highlights the location of the retailers within a specific area, and has a pop-up with additional information on individual shops. This new resource is available to shoppers on the award-winning Make Macomb Your Home website at www.MakeMacombYourHome.com/Shop.

“We work hard to provide every business in Macomb County with as many advantages as possible, and this holiday season we are excited to help drive consumer traffic to our strong network of local retailers,” said John Paul Rea, director of the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development. “Many of these local businesses are very active in our communities. Supporting our main streets benefits everyone.”

In Macomb, the retail industry employs more than 42,500 workers and has a $2.29 billion annual economic impact. Locally-owned independent retail establishments make up more than 1,600 of the roughly 2,400 retailers in Macomb County.

Advertising space available for second issue of Macomb Momentum

The Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development is pleased to partner with Digital First Media and The Macomb Daily to publish the second issue of Macomb Momentum. First published last August, this magazine will be published twice annually and will feature vivid photography and stories about the people and places that make Macomb County unique.

The first issue was included in a Sunday edition of The Macomb Daily. It contained more than 20 interesting stories including a visit with the owners of Blake’s Orchard & Cider Mill, Baker Industries and Bakes & Kropp, a luxury cabinet maker based in Mount Clemens.

Copies were also sent to every library throughout the county and have been used by the department and our partners to promote the county to potential business investors.

"I could not be more pleased with this partnership," said Director John Paul Rea. "This magazine gives us an opportunity to share the many great things happening in Macomb County. We have a great story to tell and look forward to future editions.”

Model of OneMacomb – cultivating an environment where diversity and inclusion are valued.

Startup Business to Watch – growing startup that has been operating for less than four years and has more than two full-time employees.

Sponsored in part by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the breakfast will feature a celebrity emcee, keynote speaker and exceptional networking opportunities. Last year, more than 400 leaders in our region attended.

“There are many outstanding companies in Macomb County that are thriving because of their concerted efforts to increase efficiency, diversify sources of revenue or develop a strong and inclusive workforce,” said Macomb County Executive Mark A. Hackel. “I encourage all Macomb County businesses to gain recognition for their hard work by nominating themselves for an award.”

Nominations are accepted through an online form until Dec. 9. All nominated companies will receive two complimentary tickets to the breakfast. A panel of judges will review and select recipients. One organization in each category will receive a crystal award.